17: Examples of Faith (2) (Heb -40)
The Basics
Setting
In the opening of this chapter on
faith, we learned about the nature of faith. Faith gives us assurance and
conviction over things of the future and things we cannot see. We also learned
that faith is the only way to please God. The author cited examples of the
ancients to illustrate the meaning of faith. In this study, we will consider
still more examples of people of faith and ponder what lessons we may draw from
them.
Key Verse
“And all these, having obtained a
good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided
something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us”
(11:39-40).
Observation
Outline
(11:17-19)
(11:20-21)
()
()
(11:24-28)
(11:29-30)
()
(11:32-38)
(33-34)
(35-38)
(11:39-40)
Key Words/Phrases
Segment Analysis
11:17-22
1a. How was God’s command to Abraham a test?
1b. What did Abraham believe when he offered Isaac?
2. What
did Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph believe upon their death?
3. Why
did Joseph specifically instruct his children to bury his bones in Canaan?
11:23-31
4a. What did faith enable Moses’ parents to do?
4b. Has your faith enabled you to do the same?
5a. What choice did Moses face? Compare the options.
5b. Why did he choose the much more difficult path?
5c. What strikes you about the words “the reproach of Christ” in
this context?
5d. What was Moses’ view about suffering for Christ?
6a. Moses
“endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” As a believer, how is your eyesight
different from unbelievers?
6b. What should result from this different eyesight?
7. What
can you learn from Moses about your values in life?
8. How
can faith help us forsake the pleasures of sin?
9a. What did Rahab believe when she
received the spies (Josh 2:9-13)?
9b. What is significant about this particular witness of faith?
11:32-38
10a. How is the list in 33-35a different from that in 35b-38.
10b. What lesson on faith do you learn from
the first list?
10c. What lesson on faith do you learn from
the second list?
11:39-40
11a. What did these people of faith
receive?
11b. What did they not receive? Why?
12. What do the terms “Something better” and “made perfect” refer
to (cf. ,22;
8:6; 9:9,11,23; 10:1,14)? What was it that these people of faith did not
receive but looked forward to?
